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They’ve sailed on to another home away from home, Tautira, on the northeastern side of Tahiti.

The village of Tautira adopted Hokulea and her crew on their maiden voyage to Tahiti in 1976.

The bonds have grown over the years and every landfall in Tahiti includes a stop in Tautira.

And this was quite literally home for two crewmembers, Mate Hoatua, who is from Tautira and sailed from Hawaii, and Maui Tauotaha, who lives here in Hawaii, works for Oiwi TV and whose grandfather, Puaniho, was a leader in Tautira, and took care of Hokulea and her crew in 1976.

“It’s always good to come home no matter where you’re from. Tautira had been Hokulea’s home since 1976 and my family’s home for even longer,” Hikianalia Crewmember Maui Tauotaha said.

“It is about stewardship of land, culture and ocean because no one knows the detriment to the environment than people who live on islands,” Pwo Navigator Kalepa Baybayan said.

There will be a crew change over the weekend and the canoes are scheduled to depart Tautira for Moorea on Monday.